Achillea plant named ‘Desred’

ABSTRACT

A new  Achillea  plant named ‘Desred’ particularly distinguished by the red flowers on strong upright inflorescences, compact and mounding habit, with very fine fern-like medium-green foliage.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed Achilleatomentosa×millefolium.

Varietal denomination: ‘Desred’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Achillea, botanically known asAchillea tomentosa×millefolium, and hereinafter referred to by thevariety name ‘Desred’.

‘Desred’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas red flowers on strong upright inflorescences, compact and moundinghabit, with very fine fern-like medium-green foliage.

‘Desred’ originated from a hybridization made summer 2003 in acontrolled breeding environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The femaleparent was the unpatented, proprietary plant designated ‘H4981-45’ anAchillea tomentosa species with red flowers. ‘H4981-45’ is later toflower than ‘Desred’.

The male parent of ‘Desred’ was an unknown Achillea milliforium species.The resultant seed was sown in March 2004.

‘Desred’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross in July 2004 in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen,Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Desred’ was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in July2004 in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in July 2004, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated thatthe combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Desred’ arefirmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexualreproduction.

‘Desred’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onOct. 6, 2009 (09-6732) and in CVPO on Sep. 23, 2010 (2009/1851).‘Desred’ has not been made publicly available more than one year priorto the filing of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Achillea as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘Desred’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type. The photographic drawing shows a floweringpotted plant of the new variety, and a close-up of the flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in late August 2010 fromplants growing in an outdoors trial in Gilroy, Calif. These plants weregrowing in gallon pots and were approximately 20 weeks of age.

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in September 2010 inGilroy, Calif. on 20-22 week old plants that were growing in 6-inch potsgrowing in a greenhouse.

Color Chart used: Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.) 2001

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘DESRED’ AND A SIMILARVARIETY ‘Desred’ ‘Red Velvet’ (Unpatented) Ray floret color: RedRose-red Ray floret color, fading habit: Fades a lot Fades very littlePlant height: Shorter Approximately twice as tall

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Compact and mounding plant habit;            strong inflorescences; freely flowering habit.        -   Plant height.—9-11 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—25-30 cm.        -   Plant width.—30-35 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—About 4-6 days at about 22            degrees C.        -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—About 12-15 days            at 22 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 138A.        -   Lower surface.—Slightly lighter than RHS 138A.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 138A.        -   Lower surface.—Slightly lighter than RHS 138A.        -   Length.—14-20 cm.        -   Width.—1.8-3.0 cm.        -   Shape.—Ligulate.        -   Base shape.—Cuncate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Very finely dissected giving a fern-like appearance.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Pilose.        -   Lower surface.—Pilose.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 145D.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 145D.-   Stem:    -   -   Color of stem.—Between RHS 138A and RHS 138B.        -   Length of stem.—About 25-30 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.3-0.4 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—1.5-4.5 cm.        -   Texture.—Pilose.        -   Color of peduncle.—Between RHS 138A and RHS 138B.        -   Length of peduncle.—1.5-4.5 cm.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.15 cm.        -   Texture.—Pilose.        -   Color of pedicel.—RHS 138B.        -   Length of pedicel.—0.2-0.3 cm.        -   Diameter of pedicel.—0.075 cm.        -   Texture.—Pilose.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Rotate composite inflorescence form; inflorescences            arranged in terminal or axillary compound cymes.        -   Blooming habit.—Free-flowering throughout the summer.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—Approximately 200-300.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 7 days.        -   Fragrance.—Faint.-   Cyme:    -   -   Diameter.—9-10 cm.        -   Height.—6-8 cm.-   Bud (just before opening/showing color):    -   -   Color.—RHS 53A.        -   Length.—0.5-0.6 cm.        -   Width.—0.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovoid.-   Immature inflorescence:    -   -   Diameter.—0.6 cm.        -   Color of ray florets, upper surface.—RHS 46A.        -   Lower surface.—About RHS 46C.-   Mature inflorescence:    -   -   Diameter.—0.7-0.8 cm.        -   Depth/height.—0.5 cm.        -   Total diameter of ‘disc’.—0.1-0.2 cm.        -   Receptacle height.—0.5 cm.        -   Receptacle diameter.—0.25 cm at widest point.-   Ray florets:    -   -   Average quantity of florets.—5 in 1 whorl.        -   Color of florets, upper surface.—RHS 46A becoming more like            RHS 46B to RHS 46C with some about RHS N34A; and finally            fading to About RHS 18B to RHS 18C.        -   Lower surface.—About RHS 46C fading to RHS N155D.        -   Length.—0.3-0.4 cm.        -   Width.—0.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex shape.—Emarginate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Papillose.        -   Lower surface.—Papillose.-   Disc florets:    -   -   Average quantity of florets.—About 20.        -   Color of florets.—RHS 3D with a slight red apex about RHS            45C.        -   Length.—0.3 cm.        -   Width.—0.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Tubular.        -   Apex shape.—5 pointed.-   Phyllaries:    -   -   Quantity.—About 20 in several whorls.        -   Color, upper surface.—RHS 145C.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 145B.        -   Length.—0.3-0.4 cm.        -   Width.—0.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Based.—Fused.        -   Margins.—Entire with papery edges.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous.        -   Lower surface.—Pilose.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—Found on both floret types.        -   Pistil.—1.        -   Length.—0.3-0.4 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 145D.        -   Style length.—0.3 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 178B.        -   Stigma shape.—Bi-parted.        -   Ovary color.—Not observed.        -   Androcium.—Found only on disc floret.        -   Stamens.—5.        -   Color of filaments.—Closest to RHS 145D.        -   Length filaments.—About 0.2 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 6D.        -   Anther length.—About 0.1 cm.        -   Anther shape.—Rounded.        -   Color of pollen.—Not observed.        -   Pollen amount.—Not observed.        -   Fertility/seed set.—Has not been observed on this hybrid.-   Disease/pest resistance: Disease/pest resistance has not been    observed on this hybrid.

1. A new and distinct variety of Achillea plant named ‘Desred’substantially as illustrated and described herein.